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United States of America
Introduction The United States of America (or USA) is a sovereign state and one of the world superpowers. In [https://zerohourcontra.fandom.com/wiki/Contra_Wiki Contra], the country comes out from its isolation and reappears as a world superpower again. The USA are considered as the "protagonist faction" alongside China. History At first, the USA did not exist as a nation for a long time when Mankind was populating the Earth (there was not even a civilization or a kingdom/empire). They only had a wide natural land with various Native Americans living there in tribal style. At the late 18th century, due to Europe's First Industrial Revolution and a strong Renaissance movement, the Europeans have sailed to America and formed colonies that caused some controversial issues such as nearly purging the Native Americans who suffered the greatest genocide ever recorded in History over time (approx. 47 millions) either through pandemics brought by the settlers or through violence committed by said settlers. Along the colonial powers, the British Empire was the most powerful and laid the foundation of the USA. The British somehow made the colonists angry by imposing various taxes, starting the famous American Revolution. The Americans (the new name for all the colonists) under the leadership of George Washington, succeed on freeing the country from the British Crown and formed the United States of America. Strangely enough, thanks to their country safely located between two giant seas, the United States started to take their geographic advantage to expand themselves such as purchasing state autonomy from other nations (Louisiana from France and Alaska from Russia), treaties (Oregon and Florida) and at times, by force (California, Arizona). After that, the USA underwent some political reforms such as introducing the Jeffersonian Democracy that accidentally created two political parties: the Democratic-Republican Party and the Federalist Party. After the USA enjoyed a relatively long peace time, the request by Abraham Lincoln to abolish slavery known as the 13th Amendment has caused the American Civil War (or Secession War) opposing the northern/western (Union) to the southern states (Confederacy). However, it ended with Union victory and slavery was abolished. During the Reconstruction Era, the USA have made more progress on civil rights (especially the Civil Rights Act of 1866) such as giving African Americans all the rights enjoyed by White Americans, even though it caused the Memphis Riots of 1866, as well as the New Orleans Massacre and finally the formation of the Ku Klux Klan. During the Second Industrial Revolution (Gilded Age and Progressive Era), America experienced rapid developments on economy, infrastructure and technology, resulting in an influx of immigrants entering the United States due to more job opportunities and emphasis of personal freedom. In 1917, the USA joined the Triple-Entente during World War I. Despite the carnage this war caused, the USA managed to developp their economy further, especially on War Economy, finally surpassing England. Like other Western Countries, the USA have their economy, technology, culture and society undergoing drastic changes in the Roaring Twenties after the war. Suddenly, the Wall Street Crash (also known as Black Thursday) happened in October 1929, plunging the nation into a 12 year Great Depression, followed by the nation's involvement in World War II, where the USA scored a landslide victory over the Japanese Empire. The war also resulted in America growing stronger and stronger thanks to the government's efforts to boost their military. The USA then triumphed over the Soviet Union (Russia) during the Cold War, effectively making the United States of America a world superpower until the present day. Generals & Zero Hour Timeline (First War against the GLA) At first, the USA were reluctant in getting involved in any battles against the GLA, denying claims that the organization was likely to 'run into' their forces stationed in the Middle East. However, in 2013 the US finally joined the conflict to try and drive the ever-spreading GLA out of Asia, as it became clear that the organization indeed threatened American global interests in Asia, especially in the Middle East. The Americans' first taste of combat with the GLA came with a GLA force overrunning an American airbase in Adana, Turkey, followed by a series of humiliating defeats at the hands of a brilliant GLA general culminating in the defeat of Chinese and American forces stationed at Baikonur in the First Battle of Baikonur. The Americans quickly struck back against the GLA in the Middle East, striking against GLA strongholds in Iraq, Yemen and also in Kazakhstan. The first wave of operations against the GLA culminated in Operation Last Call, an attack by combined US and Chinese forces against the GLA 'capital' located at Akmola, Kazakhstan. US officials believed that this would be the end of the GLA, and American troops celebrated with the locals in Akmola following the victory. The US launched a new campaign to retake the facility and crush the GLA's new leadership. Dr. Thrax was identified as the new GLA mastermind. The US worked systematically, gathering intelligence on the nefarious Thrax through covert operations deep into enemy territory, while simultaneously conducting other operations where deemed necessary (such as protecting UN civilian aid from GLA attacks). During Operation Black Gold, the US entered in Iranian territory in order to capture the oil fields that were funding Dr. Thrax's campaign of terror. Following the success of this operation, the US followed Thrax's forces to a city with a number of missile launch pads, from which Thrax planned to launch rockets that would spread his latest toxin, Anthrax Gamma, across the globe. The US stood firm in the face of this diabolical threat, successfully defeated Dr Thrax, and captured all of his subordinates. Having saved the world from the threat of mass contamination, US Commanders bathed in the glory and respect that came in from far and wide. For a while it appeared that the USA had finally defeated the GLA. The GLA was indeed fragmented after the loss of Dr. Thrax, but soon regrouped under a new leadership. In revenge, the revitalized GLA used a captured particle cannon to destroy the aircraft carrier USS Reagan, stationed near Crete. This was a great blow to American prestige but worse was yet to come. The GLA immediately struck the west coast of the United States, stealing various chemical and biological weapons. America had never been invaded by a terrorist organization in this way before and many believed the US were "impregnable". US officials were shocked and pulled much of the US forces overseas back to the states in what they called a "tactical re-evaluation of military deployment," which essentially meant retreat. While well-meaning, the sudden withdrawal of US troops caused much of Europe to fall to the GLA. The US CENTCOM Europe Base in Stuttgart, Germany, was overrun by the GLA, who looted its high-tech military hardware for their own means. Global opinion considered this a defeat. After China won the war, theUSA decided to isolate themselves from the world and were forced to order their forces to pull out from overseas to strengthen homeland security and rebuild their influence. Rumours said that the Congress was furious over China's victory, and concerns of a US-China War remained on the UN Security Council, that the US officially left, letting China dominating the five permanent members. Contra Timeline (Second War against the GLA) After ten years of relative peace, the GLA resurfaced in 2023 and launched an Elbrus against an American base that was under General Ironhand's charge, leaving him seriously injured and leading to his cybernetic surgery. The USA took the chance to reappear on the international stage after years of slumber. This has shocked both China and the GLA. However, China decided to resume the fromer US-China Alliance "for good times' sake" and both are cracking down the GLA until now. Time will tell whether this will work or not... Military Doctrine and Technology The USA use advanced but oftentimes experimental technology with precise targeting and well trained infantry. They also command a powerful air force, which includes the F-22 Raptor and the Aurora strike bomber. The USA's staple superweapon , the Particle Cannon, allows for more precise and continuous destruction than other factions' crude, area-blast weapons. With a vast amount of intelligence-gathering resources available, US commanders are scarcely seen making any blundering errors when engaging the enemy, regularly picking the correct weak spots as indicated by their satellite scans. Most of the USA's units are of high quality, despite being more expensive than their Chinese counterparts; even their basic infantry unit, the Ranger, is able to defeat his Chinese and GLA counterparts. While their high technology greatly augments the USA's fighting capabilities, it comes at very high costs. This, combined with their slow economy, forces the USA to field a smaller and more specialized army. USA's units are also too sensitive thus less versatile than other factions (the Avenger does not act like the Gatling Tank and the Quad Cannon). Some technologies wielded by the USA: * Advanced Superweapons (All) * Cold Fusion (All) * Spy Satellites (All) * Intelligence (All) * Advanced Air Force (All but more sophisticated for Granger) * Lasers (All except Granger but more sophisticated for Townes) * Advanced Defenses (All but more sophisticated for Alexander) * Drones (All but more sophisticated for Algrin) * Plasma Weapons/Ion Plasmas (All except Granger but more sophisticated for Alexander) * Air supremacy (Granger) * Aerodynamic plane design (Granger) * Target Designator Lasers (Granger) * Magnetic Levitation (Granger) * Point Defense Laser (Townes) * Advanced Fusion Reactors (Townes) * Radio Control (Alexander and Townes) * Weather Altering (Alexander) * Mobile buildings (Alexander) * Robotics (Ironhand) * Artificial Intelligence (Ironhand) *Nanomachines (Ironhand) * Transhuman technologies (Ironhand) Note: Ironhand's technology is the hodgepodge for all for the USA generals. Characters under the faction * Malcolm Granger: Air Force General (Tech Tree) * Townes: Laser General (Tech Tree) * Alexis Alexander: Super Weapons General (Tech Tree) * Algrin Ironhand: Cybernetics (aka Cyber) General (Tech Tree) * Ironside: Commanding General of the US Military (unplayable; appears as Boss level enemy in Challenge mode) * Colonel Burton: USA's main terrain agent (hero unit) * Terminator: Ironhand's main terrain agent (hero unit) * Lieutenant Eva: Comms Officer (announcer) Nation